Over 30 opposition figures were detained by the National Police in nationwide sweeps across Nicaragua on Sept. 26. Most were released after questioning, but some are still being held. The majority of the detained were members of a newly formed opposition body, the National Coalition, which brings together three political parties and several dissident organizations. Among those detained were 17 indigenous Rama and Kriol (Afro-Nicaraguan) activists from the Caribbean coastal department of Río San Juan. Included in this group were prominent Kriol environmentalist Princess Barberena and Jaime McCrea Williams, president of the Territorial Government of Rama & Kriol. In Managua, police surrounded the offices of the Maria Elena Cuadra Movement, which advocates for the rights of working women, and interrogated the group’s representative Sandra Ramos when she arrived on the scene.
Ramos later told reporters she believed the group was targeted for its work representing the mothers of political prisoners since the protest wave of 2018. “We’re not a terrorist organization or anything resembling one,” said Ramos. “We’re a shitload of women who defend other women.”
The Maria Elena Cuadra Movement is a part of the National Coalition, which was formed in June. It also includes three political parties, the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), the Democratic Restoration Party (PRD) and the indigenous-led Yatama; and several popular organizations, most prominently the Civic Alliance for Justice & Democracy, the Blue & White National Unity (UNAB) and the Campesino Movement. (Global Voices, Sept. 28; Rio Times, Havana Times, Nicaragua Confidencial, Sept. 27; La Prensa, Sept. 4, CNN Español, June 26)
The sweeps came days after official commemorations of Central American independence, celebrated Sept. 15. Amid a strong police deployment, President Daniel Ortega received the “Torch of Freedom & Fraternity,” which was being runs through the five Central American republics to mark the 199th anniversary of their independence. Ortega received the torch three days before its arrival in Costa Rica’s capital on the 15th. He was criticized for not wearing a mask at the event, exacerbating opposition claims that he has denied the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Nicaragua Today, Sept. 13) The Citizens’ COVID-19 Observatory, an independent group monitoring the coronavirus in Nicaragua, reported 9,998 suspected cases as of Sept. 2, nearly three times the official count of 3,659 cases, as well as 2,680 deaths—way above the government’s figure of 137. (The New Humanitarian, Sept. 2)
The opposition as well as international rights groups charge that political space is rapidly closing in Nicaragua. Legislation introduced by Ortega’s ruling FSLN would require entities receiving any funds from abroad to register as “foreign agents” with the Interior Ministry. The proposed law is assailed by Amnesty International as an “instrument of repression.” Ortega has also proposed a legal reform to allow life sentences for “hate crimes,” and explicitly threatened to use the measure against protesters accused of attacking police. (Tico Times, Sept. 27; Associated Press, Sept. 15)
Photo of Sandra Ramos confronting police via Nicaragua Confidencial
Nicaragua parliament bars opposition from 2021 election
The Nicaragua National Assembly on Dec. 21 approved a law that will bar opposition politicians from participating in the November 2021 election.
The “Law for the Defense of the Rights of the People to Independence, Sovereignty and Self-Determination for Peace” was sponsored by President Daniel Ortega and bars “those who ask for, celebrate and applaud the imposition of sanctions against the Nicaraguan state.” It gives the government power to unilaterally declare citizens “terrorists” or “traitors to the homeland,” and to ban them from running as political candidates. Treason can be punished by imprisonment of up to 15 years.
The law was passed by 70 votes, with only 15 voting against, and four abstenions.
Numerous human rights groups have opposed the bill. The Organization of American States (OAS) called on the government to repeal the law, stating that it “would deny the Nicaraguan people the right to freely choose their representatives, transforming the 2021 elections into an imposition rather than an election.”
The US has sanctioned 27 people close to Ortega, including his wife and three children. On the day the law was passed, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on three more individuals: Vice President of the Nicaraguan Supreme Court of Justice Marvin Ramiro Aguilar Garcia; a deputy of the National Assembly, Walmaro Antonio Gutierrez Mercado; and commander of the Nicaraguan National Police in Leon department, Fidel De Jesus Dominguez Alvarez.
Elections will be held in November 2021, and Ortega is expected to run again. (Jurist)
Nicaragua opposition figure Chamorro put under house arrest
Police in Nicaragua have placed opposition presidential hopeful Cristiana Chamorro under house arrest. Prosecutors have accused Chamorro of money laundering, which she denies, and demand she be barred from running in November’s election.
Chamorro is seen by many in the opposition as their best hope of defeating President Daniel Ortega, who is expected to run for a fifth term. Her mother Violata Chamorro defeated Ortega in the 1990 presidential poll. (BBC News)
The Supreme Electoral Council has also aboragted the legal status of the opposition Democratic Restoration Party (formerly the Sandinista Renewal Movement), barring it from running candidates. (Confidencial)
Nicaragua detains yet another opposition politician
Police in Nicaragua have detained another leading opposition politician and potential presidential candidate. Police said June 5 they arrested Arturo Cruz Sequeira, a former ambassador to the United States, under a controversial “treason” law passed in December. Cruz Sequeira was considered a contender for the nomination of the opposition Citizens for Liberty party in the Nov. 7 elections. (AP)
Nicaragua detains two more opposition leaders
Nicaragua’s National Police arrested two more potential challengers to President Daniel Ortega on June 8—Félix Maradiaga of the Instituto de Estudios Estratégicos y Políticas Pública (IEEPP) and Juan Sebastián Chamorro of the Civic Alliance. Both are accused of conspiring against the government. (AP, Europa Press)
Nicaragua detains five more opposition leaders
The Nicaraguan government of President Daniel Ortega arrested five opposition leaders during a major weekend round up, in what appears to be widespread detentions of anyone who might challenge his rule. The arrests suggest Ortega has moved beyond detaining potential rival candidates in the Nov. 7 elections, and is targeting any figure of the opposition. The arrests bring to 12 the number of opponents detained this month. Among the detained is prominent ex-Sandinista dissidents Dora María Téllez and Hugo Torres. (WaPo, Confidencial)
Nicaragua detains yet another opposition leader
Argentina and Mexico have recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua following the latest in a series of high-profile political arrests. A joint statement said the envoys would return to their capitals for talks about the Nicaraguan government’s “worrying” actions.
The move came after another potential presidential candidate was detained. Journalist Miguel Mora was held under Nicaragua’s controversial “treason” law. He is the fifth presidential hopeful to be arrested in the past three weeks.
The wave of detentions comes five months before elections in which President Daniel Ortega is expected to run for a fourth consecutive term. (BBC News)
HRW assails Nicaragua crackdown
Human Rights Watch on JUne 22 urged the UN and member countries to pressure Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to halt a crackdown on opposition figures ahead of the presidential election in November.
The report lists multiple cases of arbitrary detention and targeted harassment. Lawmaker Gustavo Eduardo Porras Cortes is one of the officials named in the report. It was under Porras’ leadership that the Law for the Defense of People’s Rights to Independence, Sovereignty, and Self Determination for Peace was enacted last year, which gives the government power to unilaterally declare citizens “terrorists” and to ban them from running as political candidates.
The report recommends that members of the UN Human Rights Council place pressure on the Nicaraguan government to comply with the Council’s resolution A/HRC/46/L.8 of March, which urges the government to “repeal or amend legislation that may unduly restrict the rights to the freedoms of expression and association, to privacy and to take part in the conduct of public affairs.” (Jurist)
Nicaragua detains campesino leader
Medardo Mairena, leader of Nicaragua’s Movimiento Campesino, became the sixth presidential hopeful to be detained on July 6. He is allegedly being investigated for acts that “undermine national sovereignty.” (EFE, BBC)
EU imposes sanctions on eight Nicaraguan officials
The European Council on Aug. 2 imposed sanctions on eight Nicaraguan officials, including Vice President Rosario Murillo, for serious human rights violations and actions that “undermined democracy or the rule of law.” Murillo is also Nicaragua’s First Lady. (Jurist)
Nicaragua opposition party barred from elections
The main opposition party in Nicaragua has been disqualified ahead of the country’s November elections. The electoral council said the president of the Citizens Alliance for Liberty Party (CXL) holds dual US and Nicaraguan citizenship in violation of the law.
The supreme electoral council accused CXL of carrying out “verbal acts that undermine independence, sovereignty and auto-determination.”
The electoral council also revoked the citizenship of CXL’s leader Carmella Rogers Amburn, also known as Kitty Monterrey, leaving her at risk of deportation. (BBC News)
Opposition newspaper raided in Nicaragua
Police in Nicaragua have raided the offices of the country’s main newspaper, La Prensa, which has been highly critical of President Daniel Ortega’s government. Photographs on La Prensa’s website show riot police entering the building and boxes of materials being removed. Journalists said internet access and electricity were cut during the raid.
Police said they were investigating allegations of customs fraud and money laundering by the newspaper’s managers.
La Prensa is owned by the family of Christiana Chamorro, a high-profile politician who was detained two months ago after announcing she would run against President Ortega in November’s elections. Other presidential hopefuls have also been detained. (BBC News)
Ortega regime orders arrest of Sergio Ramírez
Nicaraguan prosecutors ordered the arrest of an award-winning novelist who used to be a close aide to President Daniel Ortega. Sergio Ramírez, who in 2017 won the Premio Cervantes, the most prestigious literary award in the Spanish-speaking world, is accused of “incitement of hate” and “conspiracy.”
Ramírez is also accused of receiving money from the Violeta Barrios Chamorro Foundation, which is accused of money laundering and undermining national sovereignty.
Ramírez, who fell out with Ortega’s Sandinista National Liberation Front in 1995, left the country in June after appearing as a witness in the case against the Chamorro foundation.
He is also accused of receiving money from the Luisa Mercado Foundation, a cultural organization that the prosecutor’s office has accused of trying to “destabilize” the country.
Ramírez, 78, had been an official in the Sandinista government that came to power in 1979 and was vice president under Ortega during his first period as president from 1985 to 1990.
The Nicaraguan government has already accused some 34 political opponents, including seven presidential candidates, of plotting against the state in a law that was approved by parliament in December. (AFP)
Opposition calls boycott of Nicaraguan elections
Opposition leaders in Nicaragua have called for a boycott of the Nov. 7 presidential elections expected to be won by president Daniel Ortega for a fourth time. Ahead of the polls, Facebook said it banned a troll farm with over 1,000 government-controlled accounts aimed at manipulating public opinion. The increasing authoritarianism by Ortega and his wife and “co-president” Rosario Murillo has led to the detention or house arrest this year of seven opposition candidates, and seen a growing number of government critics flee across the border to neighboring Costa Rica. (TNH)
US tightens sanctions on Nicaragua
President Joe Biden on Nov. 11 signed the RENACER Act (for Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform), which calls for increased sanctions against the Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega. The RENACER Act passed Congress with strong bipartisan support on Nov. 3. The bill was introduced in the Senate in March, but activity on the legislation accelerated in November during the run-up to Nicaragua’s presidential election, which concluded on Nov. 7.
Daniel Ortega won 75% of the vote in the election, which the European Union, United States, and multiple Latin American commentators called a sham. The Ortega regime intimidated, detained, and disqualified opposition candidates and their supporters in the run-up to the race. President Biden declared the election to be a “pantomime,” comparing rule by Ortega and his wife to that of the Somoza family. The Somoza dynasty ran an autocratic Nicaragua for 40 years (with US support). (Jurist)
Ex-OAS ambassador detained in Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States was detained by unidentified men outside his home, his wife said Nov. 22. Edgard Parrales was forced into a vehicle by two men dressed in civilian clothes, according to his wife, Carmen Dolores Córdova. She said the men did not show any badges or arrest warrant, and said she considers it a kidnapping. His detention comes after Parrales criticized President Daniel Ortega’s moves to withdraw from the OAS. (AP, Reuters)
People will recall that Edgard Parrales was the Liberation Theology priest who was defrocked along with Ernesto Cardenal back in Nicaragua’s revolutionary ’80s.
New sanctions on Nicaragua
President Daniel Ortega began his fourth term on 10 January after being re-elected in a poll devoid of opposition leaders, many of whom were detained on his orders in 2021. The United States and the EU imposed sanctions on government officials and the president’s relatives in response to the “fraudulent national elections.” Independent news outlet Confidencial, whose founder, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, went into exile in June after its offices were raided, reported that some 100,000 Nicaraguans migrated in 2021, due largely to rising poverty and the political crisis. (TNH)
Nicaragua: one-day trials for political dissidents
The government of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua rounded up dozens of political opposition leaders ahead of the election in which he was reelected last November. Now, some of those dissidents are being sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for social media posts critical of the government. (PRI)
Nicaragua: Sandinista dissident dies in prison
Former Nicaraguan rebel leader Hugo Torres has died in prison aged 73, eight months after being detained on treason charges. The retired army general fought alongside current Daniel Ortega during the revolution, helping free him from jail in 1974. He later accused Ortega of becoming a dictator and founded the opposition party Unamos. (BBC News)
Nicaragua court convicts government critics of ‘conspiracy’
A court in Nicaragua has found seven critics of the government of President Daniel Ortega guilty of conspiracy in what human rights groups have denounced as a “political trial.” Among those convicted are three opposition leaders who had planned to run in the 2021 election. Dozens of government critics were detained in the run-up to the poll, in which Ortega won a fifth term.
Those convicted are:
In a trial held at El Chipote prison behind closed doors, the judges found the seven guilty of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity.” The prosecution has asked for sentences ranging between eight and 13 years. (BBC News)
Nicaragua court convicts former presidential candidate
A Nicaraguan court March 11 convicted former presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro and her brother, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, for money laundering-related offences. They are the children of Nicaragua’s former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. (Jurist)
Nicaragua opposition figure sentenced to eight years
Nicaragua’s top opposition figure and former presidential hopeful Cristiana Chamorro Barrios was sentenced on March 21 to eight years in prison for financial crimes. Chamorro, a 68-year-old journalist, has been under house arrest since June 2, 2021. The daughter of assassinated Nicaraguan hero and journalist Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal and former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997), Cristiana Chamorro was the favorite to win the Nov. 7 presidential election before her arrest in June. (EFE)
Nicaragua’s OAS ambassador resigns, slams ‘dictatorship’
Nicaragua’s ambassador to the Organization of American States, Arturo McFields, stepped down after condemning the government of President Daniel Ortega as a “dictatorship” in a video message on Twitter. (Al Jazeera)
More NGOs ordered closed in Nicaragua
The Nicaraguan government has ordered the closure of 25 NGOs, with approval of the National Assembly. Among those affected this time around were the Luisa Mercado Foundation, headed by the Nicaraguan writer exiled in Spain, Sergio Ramírez, and the Association for the Development of Solentiname, founded in 1982 by the late poet Ernesto Cardenal. (MercoPress, Reuters, InfoBae)
More NGOs ordered closed in Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s parliament voted to shut down 50 non-governmental organizations, saying they had failed to comply with regulations. The move is part of a crackdown on government opponents, which has seen 144 NGOs banned so far this year, including human rights, medical and educational groups. (BBC News)
More NGOs ordered closed in Nicaragua
The government of Nicaragua ordered the closure of another 93 local NGOs, including the Centro Nicaragüense de Escritores, founded by the late poet and priest Ernesto Cardenal. The move by the Governance Ministry brings to 550 the number NGOs ordered closed under the rule of President Daniel Ortega. (EFE)
Campaign to free Dora María Téllez
Supporters of Dora María Téllez have launched a social media campaign demanding her freedom on the occassion of the anniversary of the Nicaraguan Revolution:
Nicaragua: priest detained amid crackdown on Catholic Church
A Catholic pastor in Nicaragua has been “disappeared” for undisclosed reasons amid a growing crackdown on the Catholic Church by the government of President Daniel Ortega.
Óscar Benavidez, a parish priest at the Espíritu Santo Parish of Mulukuku, was detained after Mass and is being held at an unnown location, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH). The Diocese of Siuna stated following this action that “we do not know the causes or reasons for his arrest, we hope that the authorities keep us informed.”
Since Aug. 4, a bishop, five priests, three seminarians, and two lay-people have been under house arrest in the Episcopal Curia of Matalgalpa after the bishop, Rolando Álvarez, criticized the closure of five Catholic radio stations by the government days prior. The diocese is being investigated for conspiracy to “destabilize” the country.
Early this month, the Nicaraguan government closed seven Catholic radio stations and prohibited a religious procession over “internal security” reasons. Such developments stem from 2018’s anti-government protests which led to at least 328 deaths by security forces and the detention of hundreds. The government accuses the Church of supporting the protests.
Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, which had its presence in the country since 1988, was shut down in June by the National Assembly, where Ortega’s party is in the majority. This closure was over accusations of non-declaration of the origins of its funds. In March, the Catholic Church’s ambassador to Nicaragua was expelled from the country. (Jurist)
Nicaragua: more opposition figures stripped of citizenship
Daniel Ortega’s regime stripped 94 more members of the opposition of their citizenship, including prominent writers, journalists, and human rights defenders. It follows a similar move earlier this month regarding 222 political prisoners who were released and sent to the United States. Among those released is former presidential candidate Félix Maradiaga, (TNH, Heraldo de Mexico)
OAS urges Nicaragua to ‘cease all human rights violations’
The Organization of American States (OAS) on June 23 announced that it has approved a resolution urging Nicaragua to “cease all human rights violations, release political prisoners, and respect religious freedom and freedom of expression, as well as the rule of law.” The resolution was introduced by the US, Canada, Chile and Costa Rica. (Jurist)
Detained Nicaraguan bishop released: report
Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez was released from prison late July 3, a diplomatic source told Reuters. He is said to be at the Catholic episcopal compound in Managua following negotiations with the regime. It is unclear if he he will be returned to prison if he refuses to leave the country.
Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years and four months in prison for being “a traitor to the homeland” on Feb. 10—one day after the regime deported 222 political prisoners, including several priests, to the United States.
On June 27, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued a demand that the Nicaraguan government “immediately proceed to release” Álvarez. (CNA)
Nicaragua court orders confiscation of Jesuit-run university
A district court in Nicaragua on Aug. 16 ordered the confiscation of the Jesuit-run University of Central America (UCA) over allegations that it has been used as a “center of terrorism” in the country, according to a statement from the Central American Province of the Society of Jesus. The confiscation is the latest move in the Daniel Ortega government’s ongoing crackdown on Catholic-associated institutions in the country. (Jurist)
Nicaragua cancels Jesuit religious community’s legal status
The Nicaraguan Ministry of Interior on Aug. 23 ordered cancellation of the legal status of the Jesuit religious community and confiscation of all its property, for alleged failure to report its financial statements with breakdowns during the last three fiscal periods. The ministry also cited the Jesuits’ alleged failure to update information about its board of directors in a timely manner. (Jurist)
Nicaragua government expels Red Cross from country
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced Monday that it shut down its office in the Nicaragua capital of Managua at the request of Nicaraguan authorities. The closure, ICRC declared, marks the end of its humanitarian mission in the country, which began in 2018 after a mass anti-government uprising. In the following year, the ICRC opened its permanent mission in Managua and also signed an agreement with the government to engage with political detainees.
This follows a law passed by the National Legislature, dominated by President Daniel Ortega’s Sandinista Party, in May of this year, which shut down the local branch of the Red Cross and constituted a “new Nicaraguan Red Cross” or “White Cross of Nicaragua,” functioning under the Ministry of Health. (Jurist)
Pope Francis condemns Nicaragua crackdown on church
Pope Francis on Jan. 1 expressed concern over the crackdown on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Vatican News reports that Nicaraguan authorities have arrested at least 14 priests, one bishop and two seminarians over the past week. (Jurist)
Nicaragua frees imprisoned Catholic bishops and priests
Nicaragua’s government on Jan. 14 released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned for over a year in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega, and handed them over to Vatican authorities. Bishop Rolando Álvarez and Bishop Isidoro Mora were among those freed. (NPR)
Crackdown widens in Nicaragua
President Daniel Ortega has shut down more than 1,500 NGOs, including the Nicaraguan Red Cross and several Catholic charities—his latest crackdown on groups that don’t support his government. According to a Human Rights Watch report, his authorities had already banned 3,500 NGOs between 2018 and 2023. (TNH)
UN report reveals deteriorating human rights in Nicaragua
A UN report released on Sept. 3 decries a deteriorating human rights situation from June 15, 2023, to June 15 of this year in Nicaragua.
The report, issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), details events assembled through 120 interviews, primarily with victims and witnesses, as well as 106 meetings with representatives of civil society organizations and the international community.
The office discovered widespread rights violations in Nicaragua, particularly targeting potential government opponents. Numerous documented cases reveal that critics of the government were arbitrarily arrested and many individuals in custody were also subjected to unfair trials, inhumane conditions and torture, in violation of Nicaragua’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). (Jurist)
Nicaragua releases 135 political prisoners
The US and Guatemala governments announced on Sept. 5 that Nicaragua has released 135 political prisoners on humanitarian grounds after months of negotiations. The US also facilitated the voluntary transfer of political prisoners from Nicaragua to Guatemala. (Jurist)